Dried sweet potatoes, a strange dish in Quang Binh

Quang Binh, the “Kingdom of Caves”, is not only famous for its majestic natural scenery but also attracts tourists with its diverse cuisine. One of the unique specialties here is dried sweet potato, a simple and rustic dish.

Quang Binh has barren land, harsh sun and wind all year round, very few plants suitable for agriculture , only sweet potatoes can adapt well to the climate here. Quang Binh sweet potatoes have a distinctive flavor, richer and sweeter than other areas.

Ms. Hong (Hai Ninh commune, Quang Ninh district) lives in a coastal fishing village. Her main job is selling seafood and making dried sweet potatoes, and she has more than 20 years of experience.

Dried sweet potatoes are made from raw sweet potatoes with simple ingredients and simple processing steps. After harvesting, the potatoes are covered in the sun with cotton blankets to remove all the sand and dirt, then stored in a dry place to prevent sprouting. When the potatoes are less plump, they are boiled and peeled.

The potatoes are cut lengthwise into thin slices, about 1cm thick, and arranged evenly on a drying rack. According to Ms. Hong, to make delicious dried potatoes, you need to choose the right type of red sweet potatoes grown in white sandy soil because they are sweet and soft. As for sweet potatoes grown in loam soil, although they are larger in size, they will feel bland and hard when eaten.

The potatoes are dried in the sun for 7 to 10 days until they are firm and have a brown color, then they are ready to eat. "My family members and I have to stay up all night to prepare them," said Ms. Hong.

On cloudy, sunless days, the potatoes are put in a drying cage. Each season, Ms. Hong's family produces about 1 - 1.5 tons of dried potatoes, distributed to markets in the districts. Currently, in Hai Ninh commune, there are more than 200 households producing dried potatoes by hand, to serve the needs of many tourists from far away.

Red sweet potatoes are grown in the rainy season of Quang Binh province (from September to March of the following year). Therefore, when the weather is dry, the potatoes are harvested to take advantage of the sunlight, the most important thing to make this dish.

Delicious dried sweet potatoes must be dry but chewy like malt, have a red-yellow color like honey and a sweet taste like rock sugar. During the processing, the "artisans" usually do not add additives. Many people who eat dried sweet potatoes for the first time will complain that they are hard and sticky, so you need to eat them slowly to fully appreciate their delicious taste.

According to elders in Hai Ninh commune, dried sweet potatoes have been famous for generations. "Although the profit is not high, this dish has also supported many generations of children to study and become successful. Despite the difficulties, we still keep the profession, as if preserving a way of life in our homeland," said Ms. Hong.

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